Date: 15 October 2026 Tags: UK Politics, Media, Business, Regulation Summary: Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is considering intervening in Sky's proposed £1.6bn acquisition of ITV's broadcasting business. The deal includes ITV's television channels and ITVX streaming service but excludes its production division, ITV Studios. Nandy raised concerns about media independence, freedom of expression and diversity of news coverage. Sky News and ITV News together account for approximat

Date: 12 October 2026 Tags: Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Regulation, US Politics Summary: - Microsoft President Brad Smith warned that artificial intelligence currently faces fewer safety regulations than everyday products such as washing machines. - Smith called for international AI safety standards to address risks posed by increasingly powerful artificial intelligence systems. - He proposed mandatory reporting when AI systems malfunction or cause harm, including no

Date: 1 October 2026 Tags: London, Transport, E-Bikes, Regulation Summary: London Mayor Sadiq Khan wants new powers to regulate dockless rental electric bikes consistently across the capital. Khan said the current borough-by-borough system had created a “patchwork” approach to regulating rental e-bike schemes. New legislation allows the Transport Secretary to give Transport for London powers to establish a London-wide regulatory framework. The proposed system could regulate b

Date: 22 September 2026 Tags: Veterinary Care, Consumer Rights, Regulation, Pet Costs Summary: Veterinary practices will face a £21 cap on fees charged for providing written prescriptions. Vets must inform customers when prescribed medicines can be purchased more cheaply online. Practices will have to publish comprehensive prices for consultations, common procedures and cremation services. Treatments expected to cost £500 or more will require advance written estimates, excep

Date: 14 September 2026 Tags: Artificial Intelligence, AI Safety, Technology, Regulation Summary: Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark said AI companies may eventually need mandatory mechanisms capable of completely shutting down dangerous systems. Clark said most leading AI laboratories, including Anthropic, already have methods allowing them to shut down their models. He suggested independent third parties could potentially verify whether companies have effective emergency shutd

Date: 26 August 2026 Tags: Technology, Social Media, Child Safety, Regulation Summary: Meta will pay up to $16.68 billion to settle a child safety case involving 29 US states. The case alleged Meta deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram to encourage addictive social media use among children. Meta denied wrongdoing as part of the settlement agreement. The settlement requires default daily usage limits and night-time restrictions for teenage users of Meta’s platforms. Met

Why this matters: Incorrect risk information may have exposed patients to serious side effects without proper warning. Date: 28 March 2026 Tags: Health, Medicine, UK, Regulation Summary: UK reviewing drug warnings after errors in side-effect information identified. Dopamine agonist drugs linked to impulsive behaviours like gambling and hypersexuality. Leaflets incorrectly described risks as “uncommon” instead of “common”. One study found around 1 in 6 Parkinson’s patients aff